A Dozen Deadly Roses (10 page)

What a fool you are, Jade thought.  For over four years you’ve told yourself the night of passion you and Mac shared was a magical joining of two wounded souls.  He doesn’t even remember it, and from all of Lasko’s insinuations, apparently sleeping around for Mac was not that uncommon.

Mac waved his hand in front of her face.  “Earth to Jade.   Earth to Jade.”  Startled, she focused her attention on him. “Did you hear what I said?”

“No.”

“I said Callie is jealous of you.”

“Jealous of me?”  Jade scoffed.

“Why do you sound so surprised?  You’re competent, attractive, and most of all you’re a good street cop.  That’s something she never was nor ever will be.”

“You sure didn’t say things to me like that when I was
your
probationary officer,” Jade said.

“I wasn’t always in the best shape to know,” he said matter-of-factly. “But I’ve got it together now.”

Embarrassed by his praise, and not knowing what to say, Jade changed the subject with the first thing that came to mind.  “Should we carpool to the training tomorrow?”

“Sure.  What time do you want me to pick you up?”

Jade thought for a second.  “Why don’t you let me come get you?  I have to take Donnie over to my dad’s for the day.  I’ll head to your place after I drop him off.”

“Okay.  We have to be there at 0800 hours.  Why don’t you pick me up about seven?”

“Sounds good,” she replied.  “You ready to call it a day?  I just heard them say night watch is out of Roll Call.”

Later, Mac sat in his truck parked just around the corner from the station.  He didn’t know why he felt the need to follow Jade home, but he did.  Something wasn’t right in her life and it involved the boxes of flowers she was getting.  He just hoped she wouldn’t spot him.

At first, he was confused when Jade headed away from her apartment, but then realized she was on her way to pick up Donnie at her father’s house.  He thought about Jade and how independent she was.  Of course she’d have to be self-reliant being a single parent and all.  She’d joke about it and call it Irish pride, but the truth was, her life wasn’t easy.  Donnie was a great kid, but Mac remembered what a handful Ashley had been at that age. At least he’d had Susan to help him.  Jade seemed to be handling single parenthood well.  He really admired her.  He couldn’t help but wonder why Donnie’s dad wasn’t in the picture.

Mac pulled his truck to the curb and into the shadows of a towering pine tree. In the distance, he watched Jade exit her vehicle and go up to the front door of her father’s house.  Scanning the surrounding yards and vehicles, Mac didn’t see anyone - much less, anyone who might be stalking Jade.

After a few minutes, the front door opened again and Jade emerged, carrying Donnie, with his backpack slung over her shoulder.  Mac watched as she secured the little boy in his car seat and then got in the driver’s seat.

Fearing Jade might spot him following her, he sped down a side street to reach her apartment before she did.   After pulling to the curb, he looked into his rear view mirror and saw the silhouette of Jade’s SUV approaching.  He ducked down in his seat as she whizzed by.  He watched her park and smiled as she hustled Donnie out of the car and into the building’s interior.   Shortly thereafter, the lights were on in her apartment and the blinds drawn.  He felt better; she’d gotten home safely.

Just the same, he sat in his truck watching for whoever was bringing the flowers to make an appearance.  Mac had been there a couple of hours when noisy gurgling in his stomach made him realize how hungry he was.  Calling it a night, he drove to a diner near his house.

About an hour later he sauntered back to the parking lot.  His truck sat low to the ground.  Something was wrong.

Jogging toward his vehicle he registered that all four tires were flat.  He quickly scanned the other cars near his.  None of them had any damage.  His truck had been singled out.  He turned his gaze across the lot and into the surrounding shadows looking for a suspect.  Nothing.

Muttering an oath, he used his cell phone to call a tow truck.  Then he went back in the restaurant to see if they had video surveillance cameras in the parking lot.

# # #

“Hurry, Donnie, hurry.”  Jade grabbed her son’s hand and tugged him towards her SUV.  “Mommy has to drop you off, then go pick up a man from work.  We’re going to be late.”

“What man, Mama?”

Your father, she thought, strapping Donnie in his car seat.  The one who doesn’t even know he has a son.  The one who was so intoxicated he doesn’t even remember a night with your mother.“Mama, what man?” Donnie’s tone was insistent.

“Mr. Stryker.  The man who ate pizza with us the other night.”

“Oh, I guess that’s okay.  He gotted rescued by firemen.  He told me he’d try to get me a fireman’s hat.  Do you think he’ll give it to me today?”

“I wouldn’t count on it, Sweetie,” she replied, throwing the car in gear and racing toward her father’s house.  As she drove, she wondered what would possess Mac to offer to bring her son a gift.  He shouldn’t be expecting to see her son again, although once she told him the truth, she wasn’t sure what his reaction would be.  What if Mac demanded joint custody?  She wasn’t going to turn her son over to a recovering alcoholic.  What if he tried to take Donnie away from her?  Instead of carpooling with Mac, she should be avoiding him at all costs.  Oh, what a mess.

Once she’d left Donnie with her father, Jade sped to a neighborhood not far from the station.

Mac’s condominium complex was one of the nicest she’d seen.  A private security guard checked her in and the resplendent wrought-iron gates silently swung open, allowing her to drive down tree-lined streets.  Set back from the curb, Spanish-style stucco buildings joined at odd angles, forming several residences per building.  Gardeners wearing wide-brimmed straw hats swung earsplitting leaf blowers, causing clouds of dust and cut grass to billow into the street.

Jade’s knock at the door was answered, not by Mac, but by a smiling Hispanic woman.

Fearing she’d gotten the wrong house, she searched the pockets of her sweatpants for the paper containing Mac’s address.  She verified the location was correct.

Utilizing her weak Academy Spanish, she inquired if Mac was at home.  “Senor Stryker, aqui?”

“Si, si, uno momento, por favor,” the woman replied, disappearing down a short hallway.

Within seconds Mac, holding a steaming mug, popped his head around the door.  The aroma of French Vanilla mixed with coffee wafted to her nose.

“I see you’ve met my housekeeper, Irma.  Come in and make yourself at home.  There’s coffee in the kitchen.  I’ll be with you in a minute,” he said as he climbed a set of stairs tucked in an alcove.

Jade made her way from the foyer through the living room to the kitchen that adjoined a large family room.  Muted shades of moss green and marigold set off the tasteful Mediterranean furnishings and accessories that flowed from room to room.

The townhouse is so beautiful and elegant, she thought, so different from his last house.  Her mind drifted back to the night five years ago when she’d driven Mac home from a retirement party.  He was intoxicated, and as his “boot,” it was her responsibility to see he got home safe.  When she’d crossed the threshold of the cozy bungalow, she’d never imagined she’d wind up in his arms and in his bed.

Her reminiscing was interrupted when Mac bounded down the stairs carrying a black nylon gym bag.

“Ready to go?  Did you get some coffee?”

“Yeah, I’m ready.  I’ll pass on the coffee.  Your home is beautiful.”

“Thanks,” he said opening the front door for her.  “I can’t take the credit though.  I hired a decorator to do the place.  If I’d done it myself you’d be looking at four white walls, a black leather couch, and a zebra skin rug on the floor.  It was well worth it.  Not only did I get a color-coordinated house, I got the decorator too.”

An instant stab of jealousy pierced her.  Although it was perfectly logical, it’d never occurred to her Mac would have a woman in his life.   He was handsome, smart, and since he’d stopped drinking, he seemed like a downright nice guy.  But if he was so nice, what had prompted him to kiss her the other night?  Maybe Jade had Mac all wrong.  Maybe he was a big time player.  Lasko kept throwing out insinuations
she’d
slept with Mac, and now he was telling Jade he had a girlfriend right after he’d kissed
her
in
her
apartment.  Guilt flooded through Jade’s body.  You didn’t do anything wrong, she thought.  Mac kissed
you
.

“I guess we should get going.  You know how awful the traffic on the 405 can be.”  Jade hated the shakiness in her voice as she fought her emotions.  On one hand, she was terrified Mac would find out her secret and take Donnie away.  On the other hand, she hated the idea of another woman in Mac’s life.   But apparently, he was a cheater as well.  You can’t have it both ways Jade, she thought to herself. 
It’s safer to keep your distance from Mac
.

On the way to the training, Mac surprised her.  “I’ve thought about what you said about not talking about my problems,” he said, adjusting the car’s visor to keep the sun out of his eyes.  “So, I’m going to tell you about my drinking.  It was hard at first.  I was so sure I wasn’t an alcoholic.  I thought my drinking was something I could control.”  He shook his head smiling.  “Even though alcohol caused me to lose my job, what didn’t hit home was the fact I had a problem.”  He ran a hand over his face.  “It took me several months to realize I needed help.  One of the things I had to accept was that I couldn’t have prevented the murder of my wife and child.  It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t easy, but I made it.  Of course, it’s still a struggle.  There are days it’s so tempting to pour myself a short one.  It’s so effortless to drink, and so very hard to stop.”

Jade understood and feared the battle he fought.  She recalled memories from her childhood.

“My dad’s drinking began after my mother died from a stroke.  I was only eight, but by the time I was ten, I’d learned to roust my dad out of bed and into a cold shower and send him off to work.  Then, I’d get myself ready for school.  By the time I was twelve, I was paying the bills and running the household.  Dad would always promise that tomorrow would be different, but it never was.  Not until one of the neighbors called Children’s Services.  They almost took me away, but he agreed to start A.A. that very night, if they’d just give him a chance.  I was all he had.”

She changed lanes to get off the freeway.  “He broke his promise a few times and fell off the wagon, but by then, it wasn’t too hard for me to convince him to start attending meetings again.  I’d threaten to call the authorities if he didn’t go.”  Her voice trailed off as she thought of those years.

The cycle had repeated itself well into Jade’s adulthood.  Even though he hadn’t missed a meeting in years, she couldn’t help searching for signs he’d slipped again.  Of course, meeting Mona at one of his meetings hadn’t hurt.  He hadn’t had a drop since the refined woman entered his life.  Nonetheless, there was no way she’d go through that again, nor would she put Donnie through that kind of hell.

Jade swung her SUV into the parking lot at Training Division.  She was glad they’d arrived; she didn’t like reliving her childhood.

Entering the four-story building they flashed their I.D. cards at the recruit officers manning the front desk.  What a joke, Mac thought, the recruits aren’t allowed to carry ammunition in their guns until after they graduate – what kind of security is that?  He adjusted the holster at his waist, secure in the fact he was armed.  He remembered an incident near L.A. where a disgruntled former police employee had barged into a staff meeting and shot some of the upper echelon of the police department.  He glanced at the fresh-faced recruits. 
Don’t worry, I’ve got your back guys.  If the shootin’ starts, just grab some cover and get out of my way
.

A sign written on a white board sat perched on a chair directing them to the Arrest and Control School on the third floor.  Inside the classroom, the instructors briefed them on the curriculum they’d be learning.  The training consisted of a review of pepper spray usage, and an update of martial arts to be used in wrestling with a suspect.  The instructors directed the students to select partners, preferably working with a student of the same sex.  Mac was delighted when Jade scanned the room for an available female only to find the other women were already paired.  There were a lot worse ways to spend a day than wrestling with Jade.

“Don’t worry partner.  I’ve got you covered.  I promise, I won’t hurt you too much,” Mac said, smiling.

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that,” she said, giving him a wry smile.

The first part of the day was spent on compliance techniques, handcuffing, and weapon retention.

Mac tried to keep his mind on the technique, but failed with Jade standing in front of him as he simulated searching her for weapons.  He pretended to “spider” his fingers up and down her arms and across her chest and back.  The scent of tropical flowers clung to her hair.  He leaned in. “I’m not hurting you am I?”

She quickly shook her head.

He wondered if she could tell he was getting turned on.  If she leaned back a few inches, there would be no doubt in her mind how much he enjoyed pretending to search her.

It was even worse when Jade took her place behind him.  She stood so close her breath warmed his neck.  His imagination kicked into overdrive during a section where part of the technique was to tuck his arm into her chest.  When finished with the procedure, he noticed her nipples had hardened to pea-sized nubs beneath her white T-shirt.  He let out a breath of relief when the instructors called a time out at noon.

After lunch, the students returned to the mat-covered gym.  Two beefy instructors displayed ground techniques to be used with combative suspects.  Their skin slapped the vinyl mat with a deadened thud as they wrestled with surprising intensity.  They didn’t notice or care most of the body placement could be mistaken for exotic sexual positions.